picket fence



Patented Apr. 4, 1944 i j UNlTEDi STATES. iff-ATENT oFFlcE" l PICKET FENCE Neal T. MacKenzie, St. Paul, Minn., assigner to General Timber Service, Inc., St. Paul, Minn., a corporation of Delaware Application Jennery 16, 1943, serial No. natos l l l zcleims. letzte- 67) l It is an object of this invention to lprovide a The gate B comprises bekets I6 suitably fasynovel and inexpensive, prefabricated picket fence .tened t fails l'l and each 0f the littel` may be which is adapted to be erected quickly and easily, Connected at one end to one of the posts 'l by a requiring the use of a minimum number of fashinge B- At the Opposite edge 0f the gate a tening members in situ, l spring latch having a handle |9is vprovided for A particular object is'to provide a wooden fence engagement With a detent On the adjoining 90st having prefabricated sections so constructed that l- The gate is blaed CliegOIlallY by an Oblique they may be shipped in Compact form and having member which is fastened to the pickets and pickets and rails pivotally connected together, the end DOItOHS Of the upper and lOWel rails Il. The rails being adapted to be connected a1; various 10 main sections 8 of the fence are prefabricated in angles to the posts so that the fence conforms to lengths adapted t0 be handled COIlVeIliently and,

irregularly sloping ground and presents an unus.. als indicated in Fig. 3, are adaptd t0 be collapsed ually noot appooranoo with the pickets in edge to edge engagement with The invention will be best understood by refereach other for Shipping in Compact form- Before ence to the accompanying drawing in which: 15 applymg the dlagonal brace 2o the gate may be Figure 1 is a perspective View showing a fence Slmllal'ly Cflllapsedl embodying mylnvontlon; In erecting my improved fence, post holes are Fig, 2 is a fragmentary front elevation showing dug in the usutil manner in the ground to a unia gate and portions of adjacent sections connected form depth and at the propel distantes apart t0 to posts according to the present invention andaccommodate the Several fence Sectlons at the with the rails inclined to Conform to sloping site selected. The posts are then inserted, allowground; ing sufficient lateral movement to permit the in- Flg, 3 is an elevation showing ono of the Soo stallation of the fence sections between opposed tions in collapsed position for Shipping in oom faces of the posts. As the next operation, the pact form, and ends of a pair of the rails Il are inserted in the Fig. 4 is an upper end view of one of the posts recesses I4 in the opposing faces of two of the My improved fenoo comprises posts 5, 5 and l, posts and the fastening members l5 are driven.

main collapsible sections indicated generally by This Stratghtans the posts and retains them in the numeral 8 and a gate adapted to be mounted parallel relation t0 the @mats- NOW the other between two of the posts 1. Each of the sections Sections 3 0f the tence are Slmlarly Placed aad 8 has a multiplicity of spaced, parallel pickets Ill fastened to the approprlate posts- The gate 1S connected to a pall. of spaced, 13n.lllel rmls l l then mounted on its hinges i8, the diagonal brace all precut, accurately to dimension, from ordi- 2o is applied to straighten it and render it rigid nary lumber. Each connection between a picket anotho Several posts are na'uy made fast by and Tall is formed by a Single pvot member l2 35 filling 1n earthor other material around their which may cimprise a screw, nail, rivet or other baseo and tampmg the mog m plaoe.' suitable wood fastening device so that the angle With the posts 1n upf-ogm' poso-'lon and ex' between the pickets andr rails may be changed at tendmg to a, umform oelgot above ground level will without disturbing the parallelism of the re- Where each 1S located .1t wat be evident that the Spectlve members 4o several sections 8 follow the contour of the At each end, eeen of me rails ll ls formed with ground 2" as indicated in Fg- 2 each Pair 0f a substantially cylindrical surface la adapted to fails sloping approximately according t0 the t into a mortised recess I4 (Fig. 4) in a post and Slope if any 0f the ground bel-leath- IIIeSDeC- to pivot therein in e, vertical plane. The corner JGive 0f the Slope of the rails, the several pickets posts 6 have the recesses |4 in two contiguous 45 are automatically held in parallel relation to the Sides, the gate posts 1' have a, single pair of reposts so that the fence presents an unusually Gosses formed in one Side only and the posts 5, neat appearance. It will be further evident that which are located intermediate of the ends of a the rails When connected to the posts straighten straight fence, have the recesses I4 in opposite and brace the latter in the plane of the fence.

faces, each pair of recesses being spaced along the ECOnOmieS in the 00st 0f construction and use post to conform to the vertical spacing of the rails of material are prOmOted by COIlStrilCtine the Il, A single nail l5 or other suitable fastening rails Il and I1 from standard two inch by three device may be driven into the post and end porinch stock, the pickets I0 and I 6 and brace 20 tion of each rail to fasten it in its recess I4 in from standard one inch by three inch stock, the the post. posts 5, 6 and 'I from standard four inch by four inch stock and by shaping and cutting all of these parts and cutting the mortises I4 at the factory. A further important feature of my invention is the construction and prefabrication which facilitates the erection of a fence by unskilled labor in a minimum of time. fabrication is carried as far as possible consistent With shipping in compact sections, thus minimizing the use of separate fastening devices in situ.

Having described my invention, what I claim The pref as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is: c Y

1. A picket fence having in combination, horizontally spaced posts each formed with a pair of vertically spaced, substantially semi-cylindrical mortises in a vertical face, a pair of rails extending one above the other between vsaid `posts and each having substantially semi-cylindrical" end surfaces adapted to fit the mortises in the respective posts, means fastening said end surfaces of the rails in vcontact with the semi-cylindrical mortise surfaces so that the latter constitute pivot bearings permitting the rails to extend in various sloping positions relative to the upright posts and with the posts spaced a predetermined distance apart by contact with the ends of the rails and a multiplicity of vertically extending, horizontally spaced pickets, each having a pivotal connection with each of said rails.

2. A picket fence having in combination, horizontally spaced posts each formed with a pair of vertically spaced, substantially semi-cylindrical mortises in a vertical face, each of said mortises extending not more than half Way through a post, a pair of rails extending one above the other between said posts and each having substantially semi-cylindrical end surfaces fitting yin ysaid mortises of the respective posts, means vfastening said end surfaces of the rails in contact with the several mortise surfaces, the bearings so formed permitting the rails to extend in various sloping positions relative to the upright posts and with the posts spaced a predetermined distance apart by contact with the ends of the rails and a multiplicity of vertically lextending, horizontally spaced pickets each having a pivotal connection with each of said rails.

NEAL T. MACKENZIE. 

